The number of people who access Web video — known by many as over-the-top video — will reach 1 billion in 2013, according to a new forecast from ABI Research.

The forecast, part of the new “Over-the-Top Internet Video Strategies for Carriers” report, identifies factors like increasing broadband Internet penetration and the availability of rising connection speeds to more of the world’s population as propelling the sharp rise in Web video viewers.

To reduce the strain over-the-top video places on broadband networks, the way content is delivered is changing. Methods like content distribution networks that cache content closer to the user, peer-to-peer networks that leverage users’ PCs and hybrid networks that combine these two approaches are being employed, according to ABI Research.

As the proliferation of Web video usage increases, traditional pay TV operators will be forced to respond, according to the researcher. Rather than adopting defensive measures to discourage customers from using the services, pay TV operators should attempt to turn the threat into an opportunity to supplement programming with additional content, the research firm said.